Newspaper Page Text
Page 2C
^Reporter
April 12, 2023
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
Monroe Countians began spotting hummers in March
R uby-throated
hummingbirds
have returned to
Monroe County
Since mid-March, one by
one these magical little
birds have been trickling
into the county Their
arrival has not gone unno
ticed by hummingbird fans
from Bolingbroke to High
Falls.
Many of the
folks that have
seen the birds
have been kind
enough to
share with me
the dates that
the birds first
appeared in
their yards.
Bill and Eloise
Doty sent the first report
of a hummingbird being
seen in middle Georgia
this spring. Bill and Eloise
live in Taylor County just
outside of Butler. The male
rubythroat was initially
seen at 7:30 a.m. March 6.
The migrant subsequent
ly spent most of the day
either feeding on sugar
water provided in a feeder
or perched on a leafless
branch preening his feath
ers or scanning the skies
for the arrival of another
hummingbird.
Back home in Monroe
County, our first bird was
reported eight days later on
the 14th of March. The bird
quickly located a hum
mingbird feeder stocked
with nectar provided by
Monroe Countian, Dan
Jeffers.
Two days later, two more
birds were sighted in the
county. Kathy Herndon
was sitting at her kitch
en table gazing out the
window looking at her
feeder when a
male ruby-throat
magically
appeared. Deb
bie Menard
also spotted a
hummer on this
date. Debbie saw
her bird drinking
at a feeder early
in the afternoon.
The next day
(March 17), Rose and Jerry
Payne sighted their first
rubythroat at a feeder hung
outside their home located
along the Monroe-Bibb
County line. The same day
Perry resident, Dan Fend-
ley, saw his first humming
bird of the spring.
My wife, E)onna, was the
first to see a hummingbird
visiting our yard. It was
seen March 19. The bird
flew to and from a camellia
bush and a feeder hanging
nearby. In addition, Dottie
Henderson glimpsed her
first hummingbird at her
Bolingbroke home on
March 19, too.
The next day (March
20) I finally got see a male
rubythroat visiting our
backyard feeder.
Beverly Castleberry was
able to catch a glimpse
of her first ruby throat
ed hummingbird March
21. In her email, Beverly
noted this was later than
she typically sees her first
hummer of the spring.
Bob Hurley also sighted his
first rubythroat on the 21st
of March.
Four days later on March
25, Pat Purser reported that
a male rubythroat finally
found the feeder hanging
outside her home.
Maida Evans wrote to
tell me that on March the
26th she was sitting on her
porch when she made her
first hummingbird sighting
of the year. Interestingly,
Maida’s feeder had been
hanging in her yard about
10 days before the bird
showed up.
Those folks living in
south Georgia have a better
chance of seeing a hum
mingbird earlier than we
do; although such is not
always the case. For exam
ple, Kitty Spivey lives in the
small town of Ockalocknee
(near Thomasville); she
and her family did not see
their first rubythroat until
March 28.
It is also true that you
may hear a bird before you
ever see one. For example,
TERRY W. JOHNSON
Ruby-throated hummingbirds have returned to visit back
yard feeders in Georgia, including Monroe County. (Photo/
Terry Johnson)
Kim Walton heard two
hummers fussing on March
28; however, she never did
catch sight of them.
On March 29, my wife,
Donna, and I were stand
ing on our deck talking
with a friend when we had
the pleasure of watching
four male hummers vying
for food at our back
yard feeder. Remarkably,
nobody else has reported
seeing more than one hum
mingbird at the same time
so far this year.
Rubythroats didn’t
reached my daughter, An
gelas, home near Augusta
(in Columbia County) until
March 31. My granddaugh
ter, Anna, had the honor of
seeing this bird.
So far, I have received
only three reports of female
ruby-throated humming
birds being observed this
year. The first report of a
female came from Stan
Fendley. Stan spotted the
bird at a feeder in Houston
County March 22.
On March 27 Debbie
Menard saw her first fe
male. Debbie spied the bird
at her feeder just before the
sun set in the west. Else
where in the county, Bob
Hurley enjoyed a glimpse
of a female rubythroat on
the same date.
Many of us thought
ruby-throated humming
birds would arrive early
this year. The data reported
here indicates that was not
the case. This year the first
male was seen in Monroe
County March 14. Here
are the arrival dates for the
previous three years: 2020:
March 15; 2021: March 12;
2022: March 11. In com
parison, the first female
rubythroat was seen on
March 24 last year.
I want to thank everyone
who took the time to report
his or her sightings. If you
have any sightings you have
not reported, please do so.
Your information will help
develop a clearer picture
of when ruby-throated
hummingbirds arrive each
spring in Monroe County.
In the meantime, I hope
these magical little birds
will bring you hours of
enjoyment over the next
several months.
Terry Johnson is retired
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endan
gered Wildlife Program. He
has written the informative
column Monroe Outdoors’
for the Reporter for many
years. His book, “A Journey
to Discovery,” is available at
The Reporter. Email him at
tjwoodduck@bellsouth. net.
Monroe County boys win futsal tourney
Three Monroe County boys led their team to the championship of the Macon Soccer Club
U9-10 Futsal tournament at ACE on Saturday. The boys are, from left, Hayes Oakes, Devin
Wiggins, liam Guerin and Ford Davis. The boys won all 3 games in their bracket and then
won the championship in penalty kicks. All but Guerin are from Monroe County. Coaches
were, from left, Park Davis, Chase Guerin and leo Guerin.
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Macon TD Club names Logan Hickman
Bobby Gene Sanders Scholarship winner
Logan Hickman was one of four scholar athletes chosen from thousands of students
in the area as a recipient of a $2,500 Bobby Gene Sanders Memorial Scholarship
from the Macon Touchdown Club. Logan holds four all-time school football records. He
scored 1 330 on the SAT, 32 on the ACT and maintained a 1 05.8 GPA. He was 1 st team
All Region, team captain, and Region 2 AAA Scholar Athlete Award winner as a quar
terback for Mary Persons High School. Logan also played varsity baseball, track, and
golf. He volunteered time with MPHS youth football camp and fundraising for childhood
cancer patients. Logan stayed active in his high school through participation in Key
Club, Beta Club, FCA and Student Athlete Advisory Council.
Above, Tristan Hunt fields a grounder
against Pike. At right, Zack Grizzard
was a lone bright spot in relief in the
series loss to the Pirates. (Photos/John
Belknap)
BASEBALL
Continued from 1C
Jake Grant was on the
hill for Mary Persons
Bulldogs, going 3 innings,
allowing 3 runs on 2 hits
and striking out 2. Ian
Lewis threw three innings
in relief out of the bull
pen.
Lewis, Jake Gore,
Nick Arnold, Cole Carr,
and Ryan Jenkins each
collected a hit to lead the
Bulldogs.
The teams met again
two days later, this time
in Forsyth, in a dou
ble-header on Thursday,
April 6. But the Dogs
didn’t fare any better.
In game one MP lost
11-3.
Pike County blew the
game open with five runs
in the seventh. Mobley
was the starting pitcher
for Pike, surrendering
three runs on seven hits
over six and a
third innings,
striking out
seven and
walking one.
Ryan Jenkins
started for MP
and allowed
four hits and
four runs over
two innings,
striking out
three. Nic
Arnold, Zack
Grizzard, and
Thomas Brooks
each contribut
ed in relief for
the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs had 8 hits.
Cole Carr and Tristan
Hunt led MP with two
hits each.
Game two wasn’t much
better as MP lost 6-1. Pike
scored on yet another MP
error and a single by Mo
bley in the first inning.
Cooper Crow earned
the win for Pike County,
allowing five hits and one
run over seven innings,
striking out six and walk
ing none.
Cole Carr took the loss
for Mary Persons, going
three innings, allowing
four runs on six hits and
striking out two.
Pike County had two
home runs. Moss went
for the long ball in the
fourth inning. Terry had
a dinger in the fourth
inning.
Ryan Causey and Brady
Christman each had two
hits to lead the Bulldogs.
Unlike MP, Pike County
commit a single error in
the game.
The Dogs will try to
get back on track in a
3- game series against
Peach County (12-10,
4- 5) this week. MP was at
Peach on Tuesday, April
11 and will host Peach on
Wednesday for a double
header.
Then next week MP
has a home series against
Jackson (8-15,0-6)
starting on Monday, April
17. MP will host the Red
Devils for a doubleheader
on Wednesday, April 19.